1. Field of the Invention
This invention pertains to methods of manufacturing fragmenting cases and to the cases manufactured thereby, and more particularly to such methods which utilize shear as the mechanism of fracture.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Fragmentation weapons have utilized fracture grids applied to the internal or external surfaces to provide points of stress concentration for initiating fracture upon warhead detonation. These grids most often take the form of a v-notch cut into the surface of the cylinder. Such notches may fracture in one of two directions of maximum shear stress beginning at the root of the v-notch. Such warheads fracture in an only partially controlled manner, the fracture trajectories occurring in a somewhat random manner. In such a warhead the number and size of resulting fragments varies from warhead to warhead, and therefore the effectiveness of a given warhead against a pre-defined target is less predictable.